With the past week’s high temperatures in the teens or mid-20s at best, most of us have been content to stay warm in our homes and offices. But for some, braving the cold and weather is all in a day’s work.

“That old saying — ‘you’ve got make hay when the sun is shining’ — in the towing business, you’ve got to make money when the snow’s blowing,” said Brian Delmont, manager of American Auto and Truck Towing in North Jackson and Austintown. In a severe weather event, “you don’t know when you’re going to go home or eat or get a break,” he said.

Delmont said his father, Sonny Delmont, also a tow truck driver with American Auto, took 13 calls during Monday’s big snowstorm — that’s about triple the normal call volume for a day.

Veterans of the trade, the Delmonts know how to stay warm and dry on the job.

“We buy hand warmers in bulk and we always keep an extra set of socks and boots in the truck because you don’t get far with wet feet,” Brian Delmont said. The same goes for wet hands, he said, which is why each of American Auto’s six tow trucks is stocked with plenty of gloves.

WATER

Employees of the Niles Water Department are familiar with wet conditions, too, and work in all weather, any time a water line breaks — and it can be brutal, said city Water Superintendent Kevin Robertson.

“The inclement weather is part of the job,” Robertson said.

He said crews bring industrial “torpedo” heaters to keep equipment and pumps warm, and workers who are fixing breaks in the ground are rotated out occasionally so they can warm up in front of the heater or in a truck. Plus, the city allocates money to purchase warm jackets, bibs, gloves and boots for water employees.

In winter, temperatures fluctuate, causing the ground to freeze and thaw and move pipes. The aging infrastructure common in the Mahoning Valley easily can break under the pressure.

“It doesn’t take a lot,” said Robertson. His crew responded to about seven breaks on Tuesday and Wednesday last week alone, he said — and some of those breaks were overnight.

“We could get a call at 1 o’clock in the afternoon or 1 o’clock in the morning,” Robertson said.

He asked residents to be patient as the water department, which is made up of about 10 people, is sometimes responding to more than one break at a time.

FIRE

Harsh weather also can be a concern for first responders such as firefighters.

“As we’re spraying the water through the hoses, our gear gets soaked in it,” said Austintown fire Capt. Tom Metzinger. He said damp gear can freeze easily when firefighters step away from the fire they’re fighting, and the frozen gear can get stiff and limit dexterity — making the job that much harder.

“When it’s cold like this, it’s quite an experience being covered in water,” Metzinger said, adding that getting warm and dry typically involves getting back to the station, letting gear thaw, and switching to backup gear.

In a fire emergency, snow and ice buildup also can cause a slipping hazard and make accessing hydrants difficult, Metzinger said. After a big snowstorm, it is important for residents with hydrants to shovel them out, clearing about three feet on either side, so firefighters can get to them quickly if needed.

In extreme cold, firefighters also must keep valves on trucks and pumps from freezing. Hoses typically don’t freeze as long as some water is circulating, Metzinger said, so firefighters will sometimes “crack” a full hose and let a little water run.

When water pools on the ground, the fire department calls the road department to salt that area so it doesn’t become icy and dangerous.

ART

Of course, it’s not just emergencies like fires, floods, and flat tires that send people out into the wild weather: Kinsman-based photographer Rebecca Nieminen prefers to work on stormy days.

“I guess I’m friends with severe weather,” said Nieminen, who said she watches the forecast religiously to see when gales are going to hit Lake Erie.

“The average person is excited to go to the beach on a warm, sunny day. I’m all about going up there when the weather is horrible. It’s just so amazingly beautiful when the lake is angry like that,” Nieminen said.

She has captured images of waves large enough to swallow lighthouses, and marveled at ice-covered beaches. She keeps rubber boots, gloves and hats in her car so she can stay warm while braving the elements, she said, but most of the time she’s so involved in her work she said she doesn’t notice the cold.

avugrincic@tribtoday.com